Glass press



April 16, 1946. H. H. sNYDER ETAL GLASS PRESS Filed April 430, 1942 5Sheets-Sheet l April 16,1946. H. H. s N'YpER ETAL 2,398,676

GLASS PRESS Filed April 30, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 7,////// 32//l/l//l//l/l/l, s1 N "-f' f I i-@Lz API'TG 1946- v H. H. sNYDER l-:TAL2,398,676

GLASS PRESS Filed April'sof l1942 s sheets-sheet v3 v Il l 7 n Il my Uf"Mig" Z7 HIMII' Z7 Il n jililll I 3' Jil .Ig 26 2j INVENTORQX ATTORNEYSPatented Apr. 16, 1946 Harold H. Snyder, Mount Lebanon, and Edward H.Bennett, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors toForter-TeichmannCompany,Pittsburgh, Pa., a'corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 30,1942, Serial No. 441,111

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the production of glassware; theobjectin'viewis therapid production of pressed articles of minuteaccuracy lof shape. Practical application of 'the invention 437has beenmade in the production ofthe reiiector.

element of whatisknown as the sealed 'beam light, used as an automobileheadlight. This re'iiector is of paraboloid shape; it is penetrated inthe central region with orifices, `temporary and permanent, for air-pumpconnection,ior thepassage of the leads ofan electric circuit, and forthe mounting of a lament'within, to constitute thelight source; and atits periphery it isadapted tobe engaged in hermetically tight unionby'the periphery ofa cover glass or f1ens,\toco'mplete what is, ineffect thebulb of an incandescent lamp. Accuracy of shape is of utmostimportance; the eiciency of the headlight is Y*directly dependent on theperfection of the curve of the paraboloid, the symmetry and uniformityof the Walls, and the accuracy of the placement of the light sourceWithin the reilector.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. I is afiliagrammatic viewin sideelevation oftheessential parts of the apparatus of the invention. Inthisfigure the apparatus of the invention'is -shownfin operative assemblywith a glass tank. The fore hearth of the tank is fragmentarily shown-in -vertical section. Fig. II is a View to larger scale, showing intransverseand vertical section a por-1 tion of the apparatus of Fig. I.The plane of section of Fig. II is, in Fig. I, indicated by the lineII-II. Fig. III is a fragmentary vievl'in horizontal section, on `the`plane III-III, Fig. II.v Fig. IV is a fragmentarvy view to yet largerscale, ont` the plane IV-IV, Fig. III. Fig. V is aview to equal vscalewith Fig. IV, showing, partly in elevation, partly in section, theclosed mold. The plane of'section is vertical andlongtudinal and isindicated by the broken line V-V, Fig. II. is a view in front elevationof the'nishedrefiector. Fig. VII is a View in section of the completedlamp. Fig.' VIII is a view partly in elevation and partly in 'section of a detail of construction.

The reflector Ris pressedv in a mold.` The mold consists of the usualparts: the relatively sta- K tionary, concave or bowl-shaped part A|,the re- Y ciprocabl'e, convex plunger 2, and the reciprocable andspring-backed ring 3'.

A glass'tankjd'elivers from its fore hearth 4 a descending stream oi`glass `oi. proper viscosity, `wliich,'in known manner, and by `shearsthat movesub'stantially in the plane indicatedV at gobs descend onebygone and come to place, each` parisonsG or-gobs ofaccurately*determinedsize. A chute?, isprovided, throughWhichthe'severed in 'one of a succession of mold parts I,Whentliese moldparts have come "oneby onelto the position indicatedby A, Fig. I. Fromposition A the mold `part 1|, when it has received itsgob, advances toposition B, and finposition B the mold part i `is in thepositicn ofco-operation with the mold parts 2 and '3. The severing ofgobsandtheguid- Iing of themto molds arev typically 'illustratedinUnited-States Letters Patent Nos. Y1-,'l," 1,'707, Milarticle `is shapedmay be completed beforejthe` 2,010,334, stewart.l

i The plunger 2 is rigidly (though `adjustably) borne by a cross-head 6,andcrossehead 6 is rigidly carried upon the stein l of a piston that isreciproca-ble in the iiuid-pressure cylinder 8. Cylinder 8 constitutesthe motor element of the press. The adjustability alluded to of theplunger 2 is indicated by the `nut 'I I, engaging from below thecross-head 6 and movableupon a screw-threaded portion 12 `of thestem'f'l.

vIh'e ring 3 is mounted upon the cross-head 6 by the usual-extensibleandretractible connection thatv consists of--stems 9 and springs i0, sothat the portionof the-mold cavity in which the -rim of the plunger t2completes -its"downward, pressing trav- The convex-face-cf plunger?(Which,-o`fcourse, will ordinarily'be-forme'd "of steel) ispolshedandplated `With chromium; andthe inner and concave surfaceV ofthe articleshapedlby` pressure beneath it yiscorrespondingly smooth. It is'thisin--ner face of the pressed article thatis` silvered, to aiord thereflecting surfaceA of fthe completed lamp.

The g1ass-"feeding vand gob-severing l.apparatus are such a'sto afford-asuccession of gobs oftuniform-and predetermined size, Within-a very nar-I row margincf'tolerance; and thestrength of-'the the tensionoff-springs `Ill-'becomes `effective in opx-r, Fig'. I, cuts the'streaminto a succession-of' 555 `f position' to the LadvanceAoi-tli`efplung`enTherev position to pressing position. t between pinion IT and the axleof sprocket wheel'v l are VSuch that the return, right-to-iefttraverseef the piston within cylinder I9 vis ineffective operation ofthe conveyor brought one by one toy `successive positions in which theyrst receive each a gob of glass and then each co-operates with theplunger 2 in the shaping of the glass. Our invention lies in anorganization such that irregularities of structure and wear, inevitablyattendant upon the use of such a conveyor, are ineffective to disturbthe accuracy of the pressing operation.

The endless conveyor of our invention consists y of a succession ofblocks I l with terminal eyes I2, articulatedgby vspindles I3, to forman endless chain. The prolonged spindles carry rollers I4, and byrollers I4 the chain conveyor is mounted upon andcarried by a pair ofsprocket wheelsv I5 I 5. The aXlelII) of one of Vthese sprocket wheelsI), upon which the wheel is integrally carried, is provided with apinion I1. Pinion I1 is in mesh with a rack I8, and rack I8 is carried.

by thestem ofa piston reciprocable in a fluidpressure cylinder I9. Theorganization is such that the left-to-right traverse of the piston incylinder i9 effects the advance of the conveyor (in thedirectionindicated by the arrows a, Figs; I), and the range of advance with eachsuch piston traverse is precisely that required to advance aconveyor-borne mold part I from gob-receiving The connections to turnthe wheel. As an example of oneA of the several known devices Vthat maybe employed to provide such connections, we show in Fig. VIII: o aball-ratchet Ila in the body of the pinion.

The conveyor is arranged as shown in Fig. I,

` extending in upper and lower horizontal reaches that are madecontinuous in rounded courses at the ends. Al strong and rigid frame 20carries the sprocket wheels; and this rigid frame includes a Y table-top2|, over which the plates Hof the conveyor advance in the upper reach oftheir travel and upon which they firmly rest, as best shown in Fig. v.Throughout the longitudinal extent of the table-top 2| the spindle-bornerollers I4 are o confined in channels 28.

The mold parts I are spaced at equal intervals, one upon each of theduplicate plates II; the distance of advance of the conveyor in eachrecurrence of the Ystep-by-step feed is equal to the centre-to-centrespacing of the plates I I; and that centre-to-centre spacing issuiiicientV to allow each mold part I in turn, after receiving a gob ofglass at station A, Fig. I, to come to pressing position B. The intervalof rest, during which the piston in cylinder I9 makes its return stroke,

Yis s uicient to allow the plunger 2 to descend in its glass-pressingstroke and to recede again. The glass-feeding and gob-cutting apparatusare acljusted to cause successive gobs G to descend through chute 5 atidentically the intervals of time during which successive mold parts I"come to position A beneath the lower end of the chute;

This is conventional practice, as has already been indicated.

The mold part I is so mounted upon the plate II that, borne thereby, itstill is freely movable, to allow it to come, at the time when thearticle is pressed within it, precisely to axial alignment with theplunger 2; and means are provided that the advance of the piston incylinder 8 shall bring the mold part I into accurate axial alignmentwhile plunger 2 is still in course of its pressing stroke, andpreferably before the plunger shall have entered the mold cavity.

The mold part I is stepped into a block 22, and block 22 rests face toface upon plate II. These meeting surfaces extend horizontallythroughout the upper reach of conveyor travel (Fig. V). The

plate II is centrally perforate. The block 22 is provided with a stem 23(Fig. V). In the assembly this stem extends through the perforation inplate II, and the perforation so far exceeds the Upon the lower end ofthe stem engaging atits rim a nether surface of the plate I I,permitting the sliding movement'already mentioned, holds the blockagainst separation from the plate. At the four corners` of the block 22.rise bosses` 25, and through these bosses are formed bores 26. Thecross-head 6 of the press is equipped with corresponding downwardlyextending stems 2T and these stems at their lower ends are rounded. Whenin the'progress of operation a moldpart I borne-by a plate IIs, havingreceived a gob of glass, comesl to position B, Fig. I, the piston withincylinder 8 makes its downward and glass-pressing stroke. The descendingpiston carries integrally the cross-head 6, the plunger 2, and thestems'2'l.y The stems 21 entering the bores26, by engagement of theirrounded lower ends with the rims of the bores, first shift the block 22,so far as maybe necessary, to bring the mold part I precisely toalignment with the plunger 2-and suchaccurate alignment will be achievedbefore the plunger shapes the glass within the mold part I. Suchcorrective alignment removes from the pressing operation ir- .regularityconsequent upon the structure and (Fig. 1) from the pressing position Bthey carry within them, eacha pressed and now solidified article. Meansare provided for retaining these articles in place in the moldpartsuntil, rounding the left hand end of their course, they come to.inverted'position, and until in the extent of the lower horizontalreach-of conveyor .advance they come to the desiredpoint of release.Such' means are found in fingers 29 mounted in housings 30.

The housings rise from plates II upon each side of and indiametricallyopposite positions with relation to the block-borne moldpart I. The ngers are longitudinally reciprocable upon the distal endsofthe ngers are retracted 'from the peripheral edge of the mold cavity,to the position shown in Figs. IIV to' IV, in which at diametricallyopposite points theyoverlie the rim of the article'R that lies shapedwithin the mold cavity. f-Aspring-backedlbolt 3I with rounded Qdista'lend'isalso arranged in housing 30, and the fagc'sgeve spring 32 tendsalways to drive thebolt 3I outward-that is 'to say downward, as seen inFig.

IV. Within the housing 3! ashaft33is'rotatably mounted. 'I'hisshaitcarries'two pinions. One of them, the `pinion 34, is in mesh withla rack yformed upon bolt 3l thepther, 35`L(here shown'to `be of'segmental extent) is in `mesh with a rack formed upon linger 2t.A As thebolt`-3| is advanced finger 29 is` retracted; as the bolt isrevtractediinger 29 is advanced. i Normally thebolts tion.` RailsV 3Bare provided, that extend marginally `along the course of conveyortravel and throughout so much as is desired.A -Upon these`railslthebolts cometobearing and conveyorV ad-` vance causes them whenengaged by the rails to Vrecede within` housings Sli, and in so doingtoeffeet the extension of the fingers 29. And throughout the extentofrails 36 the fingers 29 continue in extended position. Fig. I shows thatthe rails 36 extend throughout the rounded end of the course of conveyortravel, and terminate at a point where the inverted mold Vparts areadvancing (from left to right) on the lower horizontal reach of thecourse. As the bolts pass beyond the ends of the rails 35 their backingsprings become effective to drive them outwardly to extended position.Thereupon, through the rack-andpinion connection described, the ngers 2Bare retracted. Ihe article within the mold part I then, no longerrestrained, falls free from the mold.

A suitable conveyor 3l is provided; the falling Y article R comes torest upon it; and upon it is carried (from right to left, Fig. I) to asuitable place of delivery.

In summary, the chain bearing the plurality of mold parts I advancesstep by step, in the direction indicated by arrows a, Fig. I. When amold part I comes to rest in position A it receives a gob of viscousglass. Advancing again, it comes to rest in position B, where it restssolidly supported from beneath upon table-top 2|. pressing plunger thendescends. Before it reaches the glass within mold part I, however, themold part has by the co-'action of stems 21 and bores 26 been trued inits position (to the extent that truing is required), and shifted uponthe sustaining plate II to accurate axial alignment with the descendingplunger. The plunger 2 then completes its downward stroke and thearticle is shaped. When the plunger recedes the mold part with thearticle shaped within it advances. As it advances, the retaining fingersare extended above it and continue extended above it until in the courseof thereturn travel of the conveyor on its lower reach these ngers arewithdrawn. The freed article then falls to and is received by andcarried upon conveyor 31 to the place of delivery.

The reflector, production of which is the immediate object of invention,possesses further renements of shape. When nished it is perforated atand near its axial centre with perforations: an exactly centralperforation, through which the completed lamp may be evacuated. Thisperforation, when evacuation has been effected, is sealed off. And nearthe central perforation are others (there may be two of them), throughwhich leads may extend, to carry a lament (commonly a coil) that becomesthe light source, and to carry to the supported filament the currentunder which it becomes incanment F is added, borne by the leads.

descent V These oriflces must placed -and l finished.

be dmost accurately The "co-'operating imola-parts I and 2, Jofigenferal paraboloid J shape iare elaborated 'in :detaiL The part yI isformed "near the centre '.withfreentrant, circular, downwardlyVAtapering recesses 38, within .which rise centrally placed upwardlytapering projectionsiagof truncated conical form. -Plunger izvcarri'escorrespondingly `placed down- `wardly tapering -Lprojections 4Illoftruncated.` conic'alshape. -B'etweenthesa as best shown finlFig V,thefpressedrarticle isprovided exteriorly with bosses, andcentered inthese-bosses are aligned recesses sunk vin the opposite surfacesrecessesthatat-Itheiibottoms'are separated only by thin lseptarof glass. `'Ihesesepta maybe removed'with accuracy, and thesurface left 4by their removalmay be left smooth and Vof accurate conformarled` byme April 30,1942,

Fig. VII illustrates the nished lamp. Beginning with the reflector afterthe septa have been removed and the perforations completed, thecompletion of the lamp is carried out as follows: The inner surface S ofthe reector Ris silvered. Leads L, L are set in the orices that standsymmetrically placed adjacent to but spaced from the axis of theparaboloid, and a fila- This ilament becomes the light source, and is,of course, accurately placed at the focus of the paraboloid. The coverglass C is then applied, and the seam of union at the periphery of thetwo glass parts is made hermetically tight-advantageously by fusion andwelding of the glass at the meeting surfaces. When this has been done(the mounting of leads L, L being also hermetically tight), theassembled lamp is connected through the remaining axialor-ice with anair pump, and in known sequent procedure the space within the lamp isexhausted of air; and, nally, the orifice sealed off at 4I.

Within the terms of the appended claims various modications arepermissible.

We claim as our invention:

1. In apparatus for pressing glass articles that includes a conveyorcarrying a succession of molds, a press including a reciprocableplunger, and means for advancing the conveyor step by step in a planebeneath the plunger, the invention herein described which consists in amold and means for securing the mold to the conveyor in a unionpermissive of movement of the mold in the plane of conveyor advance, andmeans borne by the press, movable with the descending plunger, andadapted to engage the mold and to shift it in said plane to co-axialposition with the plunger, before the plunger closes with respect to themold, and means adapted when the plunger opens the mold to move inwardlywith respect to the mold for temporarily retaining the molded articletherein.

2. In apparatus for pressing glass articles that includes a conveyorcarrying a succession of molds in horizontal course, a press including avertically reciprocable plunger, and means for advancing the conveyorstep by step beneath the plunger, the invention herein described whichconsists in a conveyor member in the form ,of an oriced block, a moldmember formed with a stem of smaller diameter than the orifice in theblock and in the assembly resting face-to-face upon the block with itsstem extending Within the orince in the block, and means borne by thepress, movable with the descending plunger, and adapted to engage themold member and to shift the mold member in its face-to-face engagementv With the said block.

3. In apparatus for pressing glass articles that includes an endlessconveyor carrying a succession .of mold parts erect and invertedinsuccessive horizontal reaches, a press including a reciprocable plungeradapted to cooperate with the mold parts in their erect advance,and-means for advancing the conveyor step by step, the invention hereindescribed which consists in a mold and means for securing the mold tothe conveyor in a union permissive of movement of the mold in the plane`of erect mold advance, means borne by the press, movable with thedescending plunger, and adapted to engage the `mold and by engagementshift the mold in said plane, and a succession of fingers borne by theconveyor and extensible and retractible above the conveyor-borne moldparts, together with means for effecting the alternate extension andretractionof the i'lnger severally, in response to the advance of theconveyor.

4. InV apparatus for pressing glass articles that includes an endlessconveyor-carrying 'a succession of mold parts erect andvinverted insuccessve horizontal reaches, a press including a reciprocable plungeradapted to cooperate with

